COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONStarting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell’s Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repetoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.

This is a bitterness monster. There is hop flavor and aroma in there, but the hop bitterness wipes out all of that, almost too bitter if thats possilbe. Pours orange with an off white head. Aroma of apricots and floral hops. Flavor is sharp with apricot sweetness and a wallop of bitter hops. Hopefully the bitterness will calm down a little to be more drinkable.

UPDATED: NOV 1, 2007 From Puddintaine via trade. Thank you! The pour was a slightly cloudy, pale copper color. The head was foamy and white to off-white. Good retention, minimal lacing. The aroma was nice floral hops with the pine and citrus notes hanging in the background alongside some nice caramel malt and hints of spice. The flavor was dominated by bitter pine hops initially. Floral hops, malt and sugar cookie come forth as it opens up. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with soft carbonation. Very nice.

UPDATED: MAR 1, 2008Re-rate
12oz bottle. Batch #8277. Much fresher this time. Nose similar, much hoppier but I don’t know if I could call it better. Smelled fantastic both ways, just depends on what kind of IPA or IIPA you like. Flavor is a huge difference, and this is definitely for the better. The aged bottle surprisingly didn’t lose a ton, but this is almost a different animal. It goes from a super hopped IPA to a massively hopped IIPA, if that makes sense. In the grand scheme of things that’s a big difference, at least ot my palate. Have to up the flavor 1 point, the overall 2 points.

12oz bottle courtesy of moejuck. Batch #7690, packaged on 10/25/2006, so it’s exactly one year old as of today. Should be interesting. Pours a golden copper colored body with a 1.5 finger thick white head. Very pillowy. Lacing coats the sides of the glass, and packs of foamy bubbles hang out on top of the beer for quite a while. A nice looking head is easily resurrected with a few swirls of the glass. Still smells pretty damn hoppy after all this time, but with a definite big caramel malt backbone. Also has notes of pine cones, grapefruit, phenols, oranges and grassy fields. Hop bite and bitterness is noticeable right away on the fore. Caramel sweetness blends in, followed by a pretty big blast of grapefruit hops, then some nice grassy/pine notes.Oily slick mouthfeel, medium bodied, very nice for the style. Finish is loaded with hops and sweet caramel, pretty lengthy as well. Will have to try again when it comes out next year, but this is very good even at this late stage.
Original Rating: 8 / 4 / 8 / 4 / 15

Thanks to mreusch for sending me this one. 1-year-old (Bottled Oct 2006). Pours an almost clear amber with a small off-white head. Smells hoppy with a hint of alcohol. Strong and full flavored. Lots of hops and quite a bit of alcohol too. Grapefruity hoppiness with a hint of berries. Medium to full bodied. Medium carbonation. Bitter finish with a warming alcohol sensation. A bit too much alcohol.

UPDATED: FEB 28, 2008 thanks to mreusch for this treat. Unfortunately, I think I had mine well after it’s time which has been echoed in previous rates. So, disclaimer, this was not fresh. How do I know? Little or no hop presence, aroma, flavor, booze domination, and kind of a mess. Oh well, I will seek it out when this comes around again. rerate- draft- 02/18/08- wow! had this baby fresh on tap at coles, and the hop flavors were in your face and delicious. my initial rating was way off as I thought it would be given the beers reputation.

Thanks to illinismitty for the trade. Bottle into pint. Big fluffy but firm beige head, dissipates rockily. Orange and murky in the glass with a yeasty nebula suspended on top. Smells of leafy, flowery hops with a light soapiness, graham cracker malts, and some black pepper; delicious. Taste starts with a piney bite, the hops being earthy and dirty in their bitterness, and the pepper being very apparent on the finish. Medium bodied with some sliding unfermented sugars gliding over the top. Finish is slightly dry, very earthy, the bitterness balanced by a musty almost yeasty quality; it lasts forever, eventually fading into softness (meaning that the husky mustiness that is all the way through the beer is the only thing left in your mouth at the end). Lace is not sticky, sliding suds on the side of the glass. As the beer warms, you can pick up a little alcohol in the nose. While the prime character of the hops in this is musty and earthy, there is an ever-present fresh grapefruit flavor lurking underneath, which intensifies as the beer warms, which makes this a wonderful chameleon of a hoppy monster. In the end, seems just a bit muddled, not as clear as something like Yulesmith (which is the best hoppy beer I’ve ever had, so that’s not much of a criticism). Wonderful.

Bottle. Typical dark honey IPA body with a medium ring of bubbles and very thin patchy film of bubbles. Good lacing. Nose-big PNW citric grapefruit nose with a touch of alcohol. Taste-fry, medium to high bitter, very bitter on the finish, Pine-Sol, medium alcohol, weak orange juice, apple, juniper, rubbing alcohol, pinecone. The bitterness is once and well done, but that is really all that this has going for it. I like the fact that it isn’t sticky sweet. On the other hand, it has an unpleasant bathroom cleaner quality to it.

UPDATED: JAN 20, 2008 Hazy orange pour, small white head. Aroma is fresh citrus hops. Flavor is a lot of caramel malt, grapefruit, floral hops, and a resiny bitterness. I really expected more dry-hopped flavor and aroma from this and not so much caramel. Lots of bitterness but not much on flavor. Update fresh on tap: A ton of hoppy aroma, ton of fresh from the vine hoppy flavor, a touch of sweetness, velvety smooth and did I mention the hops?

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